The Ultimate Checklist for Every New Ecommerce Site

When you start an ecommerce site you realize that there are loads of items that need to be checked, cross-checked and tested to ensure that your customers have a nice experience. That’s why I put together an expansive checklist for new ecommerce sites.

Walk through the list and mark off when you complete each item to ensure that your ecommerce site is ready for selling.

Step 1: Manage What Your Customers See First

When someone comes to your site they have a choice to leave or keep looking around. If the homepage interface and navigation isn’t appealing for the ecommerce shopper they immediately hit the road, but with some additions and tweaks to your first few pages you can guide those customers through your site.

Here’s what you should include and double check:

Include a nicely designed logo

Make sure the site works on all browsers and devices

Promotional graphics and links on the homepage

Links to the most popular products

Calls to action to push people to important sales pages

Have a clear search field at the top of your site

Display any specials, promotions or free shipping options

A latest news area

Links to recent purchases and popular products

An area to search for popular brands

A store finder if necessary

Language options is necessary for your ecommerce site

Step 2: Your Overall Ecommerce Site Management and Look

Every ecommerce website requires constant moderation and management, meaning that a list works nicely to double check that the whole site is running properly and every page looks nice.

Let’s take a look at items that should be included on every page and things to remember when managing your site.

Include security certificates and reminders that the transactions are safe throughout the website

Keep a minimalist design for easy navigation

Test the speed of your site so pages load quickly – Pingdom is a nice tool for this

Remove broken links and fill in empty product pages

Make sure you have categories on each page and filtering options

Have the email signup form show up on every page

A link to your Career page

A link to Legal information

A link to your Privacy policy

A link to your Contact Page

A link to the FAQ page

Links to your social pages

Links to return and exchange policies

Links to supplier information pages

Sharing buttons

A login box

Tabs at the top of your ecommerce website to categories and products

A shopping cart at the top in case people saved items

Show what payment systems you use and any security measures you take

Tabs leading to your support pages

Make your ecommerce responsive and test it on all devices and browsers

Show the checkout button clearly on each page

Apply breadcrumbs on each page to help people find the products or pages they need

Step 3: Your Ecommerce Product Pages

There is a chance that when people find your ecommerce site through search engines they land on a particular product page. This means that you need clear information on each page, along with relevant tools, guides and media to push people to buy the products.

Include calls to action

Customer reviews and ratings for each ecommerce product

Related product links to upsell

Selling points, like free shipping or a clock with a discount if they buy now

Provide product images with zoom-in functionality

Multiple product images and angles (360 degree views)

Item information and specs

A field to change purchase quantities

A creative description that relates to the product uses

Include an optimized product title

An add-to-cart button on each product page

Pricing information with potential sales or discounts

The availability of each product to show scarcity and push people to buy

Shipping and tax calculations on the product pages

Materials used, dimensions, colors, weight, washing instructions

Available sizes and a sizing guide if needed

A comments section so people can discuss the ecommerce product

A sorting and filter option for customer reviews

An Add to Wish List button on each product page

Videos to display how the product works

A currency converter if needed

A live chat option that shows the support team what the customer is looking at

The product codes for people who might use this for reference later

Stats on each product such as shares, views, sales and people who placed it on their Wish List

Social share buttons for each ecommerce product

Deals for people who purchase multiple related items together

Use professional-grade pictures and videos

A banner that states if a product is sold out

An area to sign up for notifications when a product becomes available

Make sure the product pages load up just as fast as your homepage

Explain unique features and what makes your product stand out from competitors

Include keywords on each Ecommerce product page to improve search engine rankings

Minimize clutter so the purchase process doesn’t look intimidating

Step 4: Blogs and Media Pages to Add Value to the Site

Additional content helps you stand out from competitors and show search engines that you are more than just an ecommerce site selling items. Here are some additional items to include on completely separate pages to strengthen your brand.

Educational pages

Tutorials

Product reviews and showcases

Company events

A blog with recent events and news

Comments in your blog

Social sharing options for your blog posts

Insider company information to connect with your customers

Lists that relate to your products

An external resources page

Articles about the state of your industry

Areas for people to submit their own content for competitions and drawings

A radio, webcast or podcast page

A page with video testimonials

Case studies and interviews with people who have used your products

Step 5: Your Customer Checkout, Shopping Cart and Wish List

This is the bread and butter of your ecommerce site, so use the shopping cart and customer checkout area to really shine by pushing products and walking customers through the process quickly.

Don’t make the person create an account until after placing order

Accept all payment methods

Offer low shipping costs

Make the checkout visual with fun images

Add checkout buttons on the top and bottom of your pages

Make sure the security and payment seals are most prominent during checkout

Ask people to continue shopping after making a purchase

Allow people to save their cart to a Wish List for later

Suggest Wish List items to upsell during checkout

Refrain from asking for a survey response after checkout (save this for email)

Try free shipping when they spend a certain amount

Offer multiple shipping methods

Include an area to punch in promo codes

Show people how much they saved during checkout

Show the approximate shipping date and time

If selling digital downloads, explain how they receive the product

Be open about what you use their personal information for

Offer a sample if they are hesitant about buying

If you sell high priced items, offer financing options like payment installments

Test the checkout process to see if it works

Step 6: Following Up With Customers

Once someone buys from you there is a chance to offer support and additional deals with emails after their purchase. Here’s what to include in your emails.

A receipt with the price

A picture of the item

Include links to the product, site, support and related product suggestions.

Send a one to two weeks follow up to see how the product is

Ask for a review

Offer a discount code if they haven’t ordered again after a few months

Ask them to join a loyalty program

Ask for reviews in exchange for specials and discounts

Ask if they want future notification alerts for specials and products

Sell gift cards in your emails

Send a promotion for abandoned carts

Thank them for their purchase

Show where the product was sent to

Have an option to cancel the order

Links to share on social media

A link to track shipping

The order number and a link to return instructions

Include a survey link

Step 7: Support Pages for Your Ecommerce Site

The support links were covered earlier, but it’s nice to see what support pages need to be included on your ecommerce site. There are also a few support tips below.

Social media pages

Listed emails and contact forms

Listed phone numbers

A Live Chat area

Forums

FAQs

Shipping details

Sharing buttons

Offer 24/7 customer support

Provide an extensive return period

That’s all there is to my ecommerce site checklist. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below.

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